Manchester, NH — Martin has expanded its successful Expert 04.6 rework station series with a new configuration to rework LEDs and power components on heavy (metal or ceramic) boards.

The new Expert 04.6IXM was introduced at SMT Nuremburg 2012. Single-sided printed circuit boards (PCBs) are placed on a glass plate, which is heated with IR radiators rated at up to 3000W. This results in very rapid heating, even when processing large aluminum or ceramic substrates (suitable for sizes between 30 x 30mm and 300 x 300mm). The system is designed for applications where substrates need to be heated quickly to temperatures up to 200°C and without overshoot. LED rework, for example, benefits from high substrate temperatures to facilitate the removal and replacement of individual components from an array.

Two manipulator arms, each with a movement lock, individually carry the placement tool and hot air solder pen to cover the entire working area. Small components can effortlessly be picked up from a dispenser and precisely placed on the PCB with manual alignment. Optimized soldering tools precisely deliver hot air to the solder joints for gentle heating. At the end of the reflow process, integrated vacuum cups automatically lift the components out of the molten solder. Boards populated on both sides also can be easily processed. They are supported just above the heating plate using magnetic PCB holders, allowing additional flexibility and freedom to customize processes.

The system also includes residual solder removal and dispensing. When reworking LEDs, cleaning and re-depositing solder are critical steps, which can be ergonomically handled using this system. The Easy-Solder software and the Autoprofiler support users in establishing, archiving and executing profiles.